Question 267 of 433
If you had to rank today’s “accidental” longevity drugs, what would the order be?
The short answer
SGLT2 inhibitors first, GLP-1 medicines second, and everything else well behind. Both were developed for diabetes, and both turned out to protect far more than blood sugar.
SGLT2 inhibitors reduce heart failure, slow kidney failure, and, in pooled trials of people with those conditions, lower death from any cause by roughly 14 percent.
GLP-1 medicines reduce heart attacks, strokes, and kidney decline in people with obesity or diabetes. The two classes may add to each other.
Rapamycin, metformin, acarbose, and lithium are promises, not proof.
The crucial qualifier is that these results come from people who had a disease the drug was treating. Clinics that sell them to healthy people as lifestyle enhancers are running ahead of the evidence.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
ROBUST HUMAN TRIALS in indicated disease populations; no general ranking proves benefit in healthy adults.Evidence grade (draft mapping)ARobust human trialsPart 18, Q267 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.